2006 IADR Evidence-based Dentistry Network Systematic Review Prize Awarded at Brisbane Meeting

At the June 2006 International Dental Association for Dental Research (IADR) meeting in Brisbane the Evidence-based Dentistry Network Systematic Review Prize was awarded to Huan Lu, Assistant Professor at the Department of Restorative Dentistry Center for Dental Research, Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, California a

Professor Lu is leading a review team of Holy Koh, from King's College London Dental Institute,UK, María Graciela Rasines Alcaraz, from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Patrick Schmidlin from the University of Zurich Switzerland and Dell Davis from the Houston Academy of Medicine, USA. The makeup of the team clearly illustrates the collaborative working methods of the Cochrane Collaboration.

The award of £7,000 is sponsored by Nature Specialist Journals, publishers of the Evidence-based Dentistry Journal, and went to a systematic review protocol entitled, “Direct composite resin fillings versus amalgam fillings for permanent or adult posterior teeth”.

The 2007 IADR Evidence-based Dentistry Network Systematic Review Prize

Nature Specialist Journals, publishers of the Evidence-based Dentistry Journal, are proud to be sponsoring the IADR Evidence-based Dentistry Network Systematic Review Prize in 2007. The award is to encourage researchers to conduct the highest quality systematic reviews on important oral health topics. Systematic reviews may investigate research of any study design; the guiding principle is that it needs to be relevant to the research question/hypothesis under investigation. In other words, it need not be restricted to (or include) randomised controlled trials if this is appropriate. Therefore, the award is open to both Cochrane and non-Cochrane reviews.

The award of will take the form of a prize of £7,000 to support research activity plus a certificate. The award will be paid in two instalments 50% following the announcement of the winning applicant and 50% on the completion of the review. The review should be completed within 2 years with a progress review presented at the end of the first year.

Assessment will be made on the basis of a submitted protocol and will be made fully independent of sponsors. There are no specific forms to complete but criteria will include:

  • The importance of the oral health topic

  • The quality of the methods proposed in the review

  • The use of innovative systematic review research methods within the review

  • The establishment of an appropriate research team to conduct the review

Application Process

Applications must include all of the elements below:

  1. 1

    A detailed protocol thoroughly describing the background and methods of the review. Guidance on protocol design can be found online in the Cochrane Collaboration handbook (www.cochrane.org/cochrane/hbook.htm) and the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guide (www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/report4.htm). The protocol should also indicate which tasks will be undertaken by which reviewers

  2. 2

    An explanatory letter describing how the review fulfils the four criteria listed above

  3. 3

    Anticipated timeline for completing each stage of the review:

Protocols must be submitted by 30 November 2006. The winner will be announced in February 2007.

Applications must be made electronically but a cover letter signed by all members of the review team should be sent to arrive by the closing date.

The award will be made at the IADR meeting in New Orleans (March 2007) although no travel support is available.

Please send applications to:

Dr Jan Clarkson, Dental Health Services Research Unit,

The Mackenzie Building, Kirsty Semple Way, Dundee, DD2 4BF, UK

Telephone: + 44 (0) 1382 420060

Fax: + 44 (0) 1382 420051

E-mail: j.e.clarkson@chs.dundee.ac.uk

Figure. 1
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Patrick Schmidlin collecting the Evidence-based Dentistry Network Prize from Kim Black-Totham Publishing Manager, Nature Specialist Journals

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